


Tightrope

by Ashes_2_Cashes, Roosnoodles



Category: BBS - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:39:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8834257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashes_2_Cashes/pseuds/Ashes_2_Cashes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roosnoodles/pseuds/Roosnoodles
Summary: As if he is walking on a tightrope Delirious must be careful with his actions. He must stay at a perfect balance of work and taking care of his baby, Bryce. This also means turning away from the death of his beloved husband and moving forward. If he looks back, he might fall. [ ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE ]





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Jonathan = Dad  
> Daithi = Papa

"You said you'd never leave me, now you're gone. How will I ever take care of Bryce without you? How do I tell him what happened? He's too old to lie to but too young to tell the truth. How will I ever live without you? Dammit David! How could you do this to us? Our future has become mine. Our son has become my son. I want to blame you but you've done nothing wrong. You didn't want to leave either," Jonathan sobs out his ramblings as he places a bouquet of daisies against the gavestone, daisies were his favorite, simple yet beautiful. He wipes his eyes and takes one last look before turning to leave. His legs wobble and nearly collapse as he walks away, back home, back to the only reminder of a lost love other than the rings that still hug his ring finger:

==Flashback==  
"Breaking news! There was a man found dead in an alley on Sander Road. The body was identified as David de Nogla. He seemed to have been mugged and killed by a shot to the head. He was a husband and father, our deepest condolences are with the de Nogla fami-" Jonathan hits the off button and throws the remote down on the couch.

"Bullshit! You don't care that he's dead! You just want to make money off the fact that my husband was murdered!" Jonathan sobs out loudly, tears running down his face and his body shaking with anguish and rage as he curls into the couch. His phone is ringing but he can't bring himself to answer. "What do I tell Bryce? Oh God what do I tell him? David had to go back to Ireland for a bit. That's all, that's all."

"Dad? Are you okay? Why are you crying?" a small voice whimpers to Jonathan.

"Bryce? Oh Bryce, what are you doing up at this hour?"

"I-I heard you crying, what's happning?"

"I- Bryce, Papa had to go back to Ireland for awhile. I just miss him... but I have you. Let's get you back in bed, it's late." Jonathan pats Bryce on the head and takes his hand. They walk to Bryce's light purple bedroom and Jonathan covers him with his blanket. "Goodnight Bryce, I love you."  
==End==

"Dad!" The little boy runs to the door to greet his father, hugging his leg as soon as he can.

"Hey Bryce! Has Uncle Toonz taken good care of you?" Jonathan puts a fake smile on his lips and lifts the blonde off the ground. He giggles with a big smile on his lips and nods in response to the question.

"Hey Jon, I have to head home. Just call if you need anything else, okay?" Luke says walking into the hallway.

"Yeah I know. Thank you Luke, I really can't thank you enough for helping me so much, but I'll be fine for now, you head home." Luke walks over to Bryce and pats him on the head.

"I'll see you soon Champ," the bearded male says, a smile hinted with sadness and pity on his face.

"Bye Uncle Toonz!" Bryce replies, his blue eyes shining.

Jonathan looks at his bright eyed son, as soon as their blue eyes meet he knows he can't tell Bryce what had happened to his father. He knows that he can't let that light leave his eyes. It's the same light that appeared in his eyes the day that they adopted him.

==Flashback==  
"Who is the blonde over there?" David asks the lady, Mrs. Apathy.

"Oh, that's Bryce. He is three years old. The poor kid's parents simply didn't want him. They left him here as soon as the mom got out of the hospital," Mrs. Apathy says.

"Jon? Can we talk with him?" David wonders, looking at his husband. His dark green eyes pleading to meet the child.

"Of course, c'mon." Jon and David hurry to the boy who is very intently stacking alphabet blocks. "Hey there, are you Bryce?" Jonathan asks the boy.

"Yeah!" He gives a great big smile to both of them. They talk for awhile. They find that Bryce likes Pokémon and cats a lot. Soon they go back to Mrs. Apathy.

"He's perfect," David tells her.

"He is a sweet kid. I'm glad that he will have two great parents to look after him. Now! Just sign these papers and you are good to go." After at least twenty minutes of signing and reading they go get Bryce.

"Bryce, you know Jon and David, right?" Mrs. Apathy asks.

"Yes!" Bryce replies looking up at the two.

"Well, they are going to take care of you now. They will be your parents," she explains.

"Really?" Bryce gasps. Mrs. Apathy nods and Bryce lets out an excited cheer. He smiles and hugs both of their legs. David smiles and lifts their new child up and spins him around. He laughs and his eyes... light... up.  
=========================


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonathan learns that, while some people you can't trust anymore, there will be others there for you.
> 
> /h2osnuckel bromance because they are the cutest bros ever and they need moral support/

“Anything new come up yet, Detective?”

“Not yet. Also, please refrain from calling me detective, Jonathan. Call me Lui.”

The young Hispanic investigator said, earning a small frown from the other male as well as a nod. Lui could only sigh as he leaned back on his chair and look up at the ceiling before looking back at the other. The blue-eyed male looked down at his hands solemnly and twiddled his thumbs, before standing up and forcing a small smile of gratitude towards the police man. Just as Jonathan turned to leave, Lui stood up and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Look, if you want, I can call the forensic scientist who is still studying your husband’s death. I’m sure he came up with something already. Does that sound like a good idea?”

Jonathan’s eyes lit up with hope as he nodded eagerly at the other, earning a chuckle from the detective. He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed the scientists number while motioning the other to close his office door. As soon as the door was closed, someone picked up the phone from the other end and a tired, Spanish accented voice came through as Lui decided to put him on speaker.

“ _What do you need Lui? This is the fifth time you call me today. For the last time, I’m not going to go buy you food, lazy ass._ ”

Jonathan looked up at Lui confused while he only grinned sheepishly and waved it off. He looked down at the phone, before speaking seriously.

“Arlan, I need to know something. You remember the case of the man that was murdered two weeks ago, the one found in the alleyway on Sander Road? I need to know if you have found out anything else about him. His husband is here and he wants to know if anything knew has come up.” There was silence on the other end as there was a rustle of pages being moved around, then a small hum from the male.

“ _Actually, there has been. Brian went out not too long ago to collect evidence and to interview his closest friends and family. So far, there are eight suspects that, if we can’t narrow them down, will be put under house arrest._ ”

Both Lui and Jonathan looked up at each other, then looked back down at the detective’s phone before Lui asked, “What are their names. Arlan?”

“ _Well, so far we have Marcel Cunningham, Craig Thompson, Luke Patterson, Evan Fong, Brock Paxton, Scott Jordan, Tyler Williams, and someone else who simply wants to be referred as Smiity.”_

At the mention of those names, Jonathan looked down at his feet startled and sat down, trying to process the information he was just given. Lui glanced at him, before leaning back on his table. “Anything else?”

_“Yeah, we found a conversation on his phone with a phone number we can’t seem to track down. The other person was apparently jealous of his relationship with his husband, Jonathan, and threatened to hurt their child if he didn’t show up at the alleyway with a bag of one million dollars. And when we showed up at the scene of the crime, there was no trace of any bag of money left behind, meaning that either they didn’t bring the money they were asked to show up with, or the killer simply vanished with it. Brian said that because the murderer is still out there, it’s best that the Nogla family is under high security watch out. We don’t want another casualty happening._ ”

“Mm, alright. Thank you, Arlan, your help is greatly appreciated. Also, tell Brian to come over here as soon as he can, I am assigning him to be the body guard of both Jonathan and his son.”

  
\------

  
Soon after the call with the scientist, Jonathan excused himself out of the police department and left to go pick up Bryce at daycare, his mind whirling with the new evidence he was just told. He shuddered at the thought of being stalked, and tried to focus on something else, like what he’d cook for dinner for him and Bryce, and what to give his little boy as a treat. He smiled as he started remembering his little, bright eyed child who always smiled no matter what, and sighed contently when the daycare came into view. He parked his car outside, and waited for a few moments before he opened the door and stepped put into the chilly air. He took a deep breath in, the cold, fresh air filling his lungs, then closed the door, walking up the small stairs leading up to the doors of the place where Bryce was being taken care of. He passed mothers who were walking out with their children, and tried shrugging off the stares and murmurs around him of the other parents as he walked up to the daycare keeper and bit on his lower lip. Brock Paxton, who was usually an energetic, sweet person, now looked tired and worried, but still managed to give Jonathan a bright smile as he stood up and greeted him.

"Hey, Jon. Here for Bryce, I suppose? He's near the play house with his new friend, Ryan. Those two really hit off quickly." 

"Actually, I'm not only here for Bryce today. I'm here to talk to you about something Brock."

Brock tilted his head, then nodded, pulling up a seat next to his when motioning him over. Jonathan sat down and sighed, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his hands through his messy, black hair. Brock waited until all the parents left and went to go get Bryce, only to come back with not only said kid, but another little boy who had bright, green-brown hazel eyes and brown hair that stood up everywhere. He wore a baggy, grey sweater with bunny ears sewed onto the hoodie, and held onto an old plush rabbit by it's paw. As soon as Bryce looked at Jonathan, his burst out in a wide, toothy smile and grabbed the other kids hand, running towards his dad and giggling.

"Daddy, 'ook! I made a new fwend today! Ryan, this is my dad, he's the coolest dad ever! He's also stwong, and has the funniest waugh!" The other little kid, who Jonathan now knew was named Ryan, smiled shyly at him and waved slightly at him while stepping a bit behind Bryce.

"H-Hi. . ! My name is Ryan, I'm two years old a-and Bryce is my best fwend!" he exclaimed happily while smiling at Bryce who giggled at his introduction. Brock chuckled and sat next to Jonathan who smiled at the two little kids and patted Ryan's head gently. Ryan stared up at him with his big hazel eyes and blinked a bit.

"You have really pweety eyes, mister!"

"Ah, thank you, Ryan. You have pretty eyes too." remarked Jon with a smile as the little toddler blushed and giggled at the compliment. Soon, both little kids were sitting on either male's lap as they played with each other and giggled, and a few minutes later, were dozing off in their arms. Jonathan rocked Bryce in his arms gently while Brock did the same to Ryan, all while gently speaking in hushed tones.

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" 

"Well, I went to the police department today and I got new information about David's murder. I also got the names of the suspects and. . Brock, how come you're on their list of suspects?"

The other male tensed up, but quickly relaxed as soon as Ryan moved around a bit and let out a small whine. Brock sighed softly while rocking the toddler, then bit his lower lip as he looked up into Jon's eyes. 

"Because I knew about those messages that were being sent to him before he got murdered. And. . And I didn't do anything to help him. ."

Jonathan looked up at Brock with wide eyes, and suddenly, it seemed to be getting harder to breathe as he swallowed down the lump forming in his throat. "W-What. . ?" he croaked out, holding Bryce closer and tighter as the other male could only look down at a sleeping Ryan and not have eye contact with the other. Jon took a deep breath in, and exhaled, gently placing his hand on Brock's head, then flicking his forehead a bit. The daycare keeper looked up, and felt guiltier as he saw the sad smile that was placed on Jonathan's face as he felt tears prickle his own eyes. He got up and went to place Ryan in one of the sleeping mattresses as he tried wiping his eyes from the tears that started to fall. He felt a sturdy, yet gentle hand being placed on his shoulder as Jon laid Bryce next to the other boy on the bed, then felt himself getting enveloped in a tight, warm hug as Jonathan pulled him in close. Brock stood there confused for a moment, before slowly hugging back tightly and burying his face into Jonathan’s neck, letting his tears wet the others shirt as he sobbed softly. Jonathan couldn’t help but let out his own silent tears as he rested his chin on the others shaky shoulders.

“Jon. . I-I’m so sorry. . ! I should’ve told the police before all of this happened but he. . David wouldn’t let me. . He said that if I did, I would only be putting my own life in danger. . I didn’t care, as long as it meant that you guys were safe but he just didn’t let me and I. . It’s all my fault, it’s m— “

“Stop it Brock. It’s not your fault and it never will be. David. . He was a stubborn guy. He worried about everyone else too much rather than himself. At times, he would give all his money to help those in need, even when he himself needed that money. Remember that time he got so sick, he ended up in the hospital? It was around the same time you were at risk of losing the daycare. Well, he paid off what you owed. . That mysterious payment that no one knew where it came from. . ? That was him, once again worrying too much about others rather than his own needs and health. . He was so goddamn stupid. . yet so sweet and caring. .”

Talking about David, and how he was when he was still alive caused an aching pain deep in Jonathan’s heart as he kept crying and holding Brock tightly as the other fell silent and tightened his hug around the other man. After a while, they pulled away and wiped their eyes, staying quiet as they let the comforting stillness envelop them. Soon, Jonathan broke the silence by sighing and looking over at the two boys. His eyebrows scrunched up as he checked the time on his watch, then looked at brock.

“Hey, where are Ryan’s parents? It’s already 7 pm, shouldn’t they have come for him already?”

“Actually, Ryan doesn’t have parents. I went home to my apartment building yesterday night, and he was sitting there on top of the stairs, shaking and crying. He didn’t even have a blanket or anything, just his sweater and the little bunny he has. Poor kid was just abandoned there in the late hours of the night, and the worst part, he has welts, scars and bruises all over his body. You can even feel his ribs!” Brock said, looking over at the little toddler who was currently snuggling up to Bryce, earning a smile from both adults. “When I asked if he knew what his parents’ names were, or where he lived, he said he didn’t know. So, I took him in, gave him a bath, and gave him dinner. He ate as if he had not eaten in over a week, if not more. And after, he asked if he could sleep with me because the bad people would get him in the dark.”

“You think he was abused back home?”

“I don’t doubt it. I was thinking of calling child services, but if I do, they’ll take him away and I hate the fact of them taking him away and not even knowing if he’ll be alright or not. So, I decided to just adopt him.”

Jonathan grinned happily at that, and patted Brock’s back. “You’ll be a great parent, I know it.”

“Thank you, Jonathan. Anyways, I think I should go home now, it’s getting late and I want to make treat for Ryan, as well as go shopping for some new clothes for the little guy.”

Jon nodded and gently picked up Bryce, who stirred in his sleep and slowly woke up. He blinked sleepily and yawned as his dad giggled and pecked his cheek gently. Bryce smiled and laughed softly, then looked over to see Brock pick up Ryan.

“Daddy, can I say bye-bye to Ryan pwease?”

“Sure thing, baby.” Jonathan said as he sat up Bryce in his arms and walked closer to Brock. Ryan, who was half asleep, looked up at Bryce and held his arms towards him as the other boy giggled and gently hugged him.

“Bye-bye, Ryan. I have to weave now, but I’ll come back tomowwow, okay?” he spoke in his happy, baby tone as Ryan sleepily nodded and let go of him. Bryce kissed his cheek gently, causing not only Ryan to blush and smile, but also causing Brock and Jonathan to chuckle at their cuteness. They soon said their goodbyes and left to their own homes, Jonathan feeling a little bit better after the talk with Brock. But there was still something bothering him about the list of suspects he was given.

Why was Luke in it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoOOOO ASH HERE BACK WITH A NEW CHAPTER OF TIGHTROPE FOR YOU GUYSSSS
> 
> okay but seriously, roo and I are very thankful for all the reads and kudos that were left last time for the first episode of the story
> 
> so far, we dont have a schedule but we will take turns writing the chapters. so next time, unless something comes up, it will be roo's turn to write the new chapter
> 
> anyways, thank you all once again and we'll see you guys next time
> 
> byeee :^)))
> 
> also, scotty's and tyler's last names are made up, while Brock's last name came from this story http://archiveofourown.org/works/8068360/chapters/18486232 (pls check it out this story is like one of my top favourites and their author is like really good like dam b)
> 
> -Ashes_2_Cashes


	3. Chapter 2

Saturday came around and Jonathan needed to go back to the police department for new information and to tell the cops what Brock had said. Jonathan didn’t trust Luke enough to ask him to take care of Bryce and the daycare wasn’t open so he needed somewhere to send Bryce.

“Daddy! I wanna see Ryan!” Bryce yelled from his room. Jonathan smiled at the idea and took out his phone to call Brock.

“Hey Brock, I have to go to the department and Bryce needs somewhere to go. He really wants to see Ryan. Do you think you could handle him for a little while?” Jonathan begged. Brock replied with a yes and Jonathan told Bryce to get ready. An excited squeal came from the child as he raced around, grabbing everything he needed for his trip to see Ryan. “Alright kiddo, get in the car, let’s go see Ryan and Brock,” Jonathan said as he buckled Bryce into his booster seat for the ride over.

On the way they listened to the radio and Jonathan couldn’t help but smile at how Bryce sang every song even if he didn’t know the words. When they arrived at the building Jonathan held Bryce’s hand and helped him up the stairs to Brock’s apartment. Bryce knocked on the door excitedly. Brock opened the door and Ryan was clung to his right leg, but when he saw Bryce he opened his arms for Bryce who tackled him to the floor with a giant hug. 

“Haha! Brycey s-stop it! That-that t-tickles! Haha!” Ryan laughed as Bryce tickled him and left little kisses all over his face. Quietly Brock and Jonathan stood to the side watching the two children play. A constant squeal came from Brock’s mouth at how cute the two were being. Jonathan just put his hand over his mouth and giggled happily.

“I missed you so much Ry! I never want to leave you again!” Bryce exclaimed as his energy rush finally wore off and he collapsed on top of the other child. Ryan smiled and wrapped his arms around the blonde.

“I never want to leave you either Brycey!” Ryan’s voice was muffled because his face was dug into Bryce’s shoulder. 

“Alright, well I’d better be on my way, Bryce be good.” Jonathan gives the two kids one last glance before thanking Brock and leaving. Bryce finally gets off of Ryan and helps him up.

“Brycey, wanna see my drawing? I started it before you came! It’s a picture of us!” Ryan took Bryce’s hand and brought him to the kitchen table where his picture was left. “See! That’s you and that’s me!” Bryce went wide eyed. There were two figures on the paper holding hands. Ryan was drawn in grey crayon and Bryce was drawn in purple. The grass was colored in scribbly green and the sky was the same in blue.

“I wuv it Ry! It’s pewfect!” Bryce yelled and hugged Ryan. 

“Oh! I wanna show you my room! Come on!” Once again Ryan took Bryce’s hand and led him to the door where grey letters read ‘Ryan’. The door opened and Bryce sat down on the bed that had Ryan’s bunny stuffed animal resting on it. “Brock spent all yesterday doing this! He’s the best!” Ryan smiles widely. “He’s gonna be my new Da! I am Ryan Paxton now! Hey, wha is your last name?” Ryan wondered.

“De Nogla! I am Bwyce de Nogla! I got it fwom my Papa, David! It is Iwish,” Bryce says.

“Oh! I know David de Nogla! He is here, by the park!” Ryan tells Bryce.

“Weally? I-I thowt he was in Iweland…” Bryce says, eyes wide.

“Hey, there you two are! Do you guys want to go to the park?” Brock asked. Bryce and Ryan both nod quickly and then grab hands to follow Brock to his car. Bryce and Ryan never stopped holding hands in the car.

“C’mon! Let’s go on the swings! Ry Ry, push me!” the blonde child yelled as he pulled Ryan over to the swingset. The taller sits down while the brunette goes behind and carefully moves the swing forward with a firm push against Bryce’s back. They take turns pushing each other on the swings for a while before they stop and play with their stuffed animals, pretending they are pirates sailing the seven seas.

“Brycey, you wanted to see youh Papa wight? C’mon it’s down the road!” Ryan began to lead Bryce down the road. They stopped in front of a big gate that read “Brookland Cemetery”. Neither of the children knew what that meant and they walked around looking at the stones. 

“Ry… why is my Papa’s name on the wock?” Bryce whimpered as he stared at the marble stone that had ‘In loving memory of David de Nogla. He was a kind and charitable husband and father. 1992-2016’ engraved on it. “Ry… where is my Papa!?” Bryce screeched. 

“He-he is under it,” Ryan replied looking at Bryce whose blue eyes were filling with tears.

“Why?! If my Papa is down there I can’t see im!” Bryce collapsed as the tears got bigger and snot began coming out of his red nose. Ryan attempted to hug the other child who just shoved him off and scrambled away.

===

“Oh god where are they? Oh no oh this is so fucking bad,” Brock whispered as he continued to try and find the children that he lost. He quickly pulls out his phone and desperately called Jon. “J-Jon? Oh god Jon I’m so sorry. I can’t find either of them. They ran off I don’t know whe-” Brock cut himself off, “shit. Jon I-I think they are at the cemetery. I- they were talking about their dads and Ryan said something about knowing where David is. J-Jon you’d better get over here.” At this point Brock was sprinting down the sidewalk all the way to the cemetery. He burst through the gate and immediately ran to where he knew David was buried. He could already hear Bryce screaming. Bryce was on the ground curled in on himself. His whole body was racked with sobs and snot and tears covered his face. He was curled up in the dirt and all his clothes were a mess. Ryan just looked frozen. His face was void of any emotion.

“B-Brock? Why is he acting like this?” Ryan whispered, “didn’t he know?”

“Ryan come here,” Brock said sternly, “This is unacceptable behavior. Ryan you ran off without letting me know and now this happened. And no. Bryce was unaware of the situation his father is in.”

“Bryce!” A voice yelled as warm arms wrapped around the crying child. It was Jon. He carefully rocked his son back and forth in his arms. “Oh, Bryce… I am so sorry. I’m sorry I lied and, I-I are you alright?” Jon asked after examining the state the blonde haired child was in.

“W-why?” Bryce cried out, “w-why can I no see Papa?” Jonathan didn’t know how to reply. How does he explain to his three year old son that his father is dead and he will never be able to see him again. 

“Bryce… Papa is… out of lives?” Jonathan questions himself as he thinks back to Bryce watching him play Super Mario. Bryce’s crying and shaking finally tired the young boy out and he fell asleep in his father’s arms. Jonathan started crying now that Bryce could no longer see him.

“I’m so sorry Jon. I’ve ruined everything for you for the second time,” Brock apologized with eyes full of sadness. Jon just nodded him off before taking the blue eyed boy to his car and buckling him into his seat. He drove off, back to their home.  
“Ryan, let’s go home. I think we’ve had enough excitement for today.” Brock lead Ryan back to their car and took him back to their apartment. Ryan was in another room getting ready for bed when he heard noises that sounded similar to the ones Bryce had been making at the cemetery. He went into Brock’s room and found him crying into one of his pillows. 

“Da?” Ryan asked into the subtle darkness of the room. He climbed up onto the bed and curled up hugging Brock. “I wuv you Da!” Ryan mumbled before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long
> 
> -Roo


	4. Chapter 3

**.~ Please listen to Daughter - Still (Cover by ALuxuriousRed)** **~.**

That night, he cried.

He sobbed, wailed and screamed into the night, warm, salty tears running down his red cheeks. No matter how much he tried to stop himself from crying, he just couldn't stop. Bryce's little voice kept coming back to him, the words he spoke tearing Jonathan's heart up even more. His bright, blue happy eyes, eyes that always shone with happiness, had tears in them, his small body trembling, and his happy voice was shaky and laced with pain as he asked his father the question. A question that Jonathan hoped he would never ask him, not now at least.

 **_I'll wrap up my bones_ **  
**_And leave them_**  
**_Out of this home_ **  
**_Out on the road_ **

_“W-why can I no see Papa?”_

Because he's gone. Dead. That's why Bryce could not see his father. The tall, sweet man who cared more about others and not himself was no longer in this world with them, but rather up in the sky. Jonathan smiled at himself, imagining David to be free and doing the things he had always wished he could do. But that smile fell the more he thought about his dead husband, He shook his head, and got up, legs moving on their own as he walked into the kitchen and opened the alcohol cabinet. The day of their wedding, David made sure to fill it up with his favourite drinks, knowing that friends and family were coming over that day. But since kids were around, they replaced the alcoholic drinks with apple cider, much to David's dismay. Remembering how David pouted at seeing the drinks replaced ripped a sob from the other male's throat as he leaned over the counter, fingers cold and white as he gripped the surface in front of him with all his strength. With shaky hands, he opened the closet and pulled out the first drinks his fingers wrapped around. Bailey's Irish Cream, coffee flavoured. Jonathan and David's favourite. They would always sneak small drinks of the cream into their system on those warm, starry nights that made you feel relaxed, alive. Those night's were the American's favourite, because it meant he could cuddle with the other and bury his face in his chest, taking in deep breaths of his smell in, the other's cologne and natural scent bringing calmness over him. Nights were Nogla would wrap his arms around the other, pepper his face with kiss, tickle and tell jokes with him. Nights were Jonathan felt wanted, wanted by the love of his life. A voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he slowly looked over at Bryce, who stood in the middle of the living room, a teddy bear hugged tightly to his chest and his eyes wide.

 **_Two feet standing on a principle_ **  
**_Two hands digging in each others wounds_ **  
**_Cold smoke seeping out of colder throats_ **  
**_Darkness falling, leaves nowhere to move_ **

"D-Daddy. . ? Are you. . okay. . ?"

It took him a moment to come to his senses, and when he did, he dropped the bottle of Irish Cream, making it shatter on the floor and its contents being spilled everywhere. Everything was over turned, the kitchen a mess, the living room a mess. Everything looked as if a tornado had made its way through their home. The loud sounds of glass shattering made Bryce jump and hug his teddy bear closer to himself, tears welling up in his eyes. Jonathan immediately sprung up and made his way towards Bryce, scooping up the small child in his arms and hugging him close, whispering sweet words to him. Bryce immediately clung to him, crying softly into his dad's chest.

"Daddy. . Daddy, I'm scawed. . W-Why did wou do 'hat. . ? I-Is wou mad with me. . ? Is Daddy gonna hit me. . ?"

"Hit you? No, no of course not baby! What ever made you think that? I'd never hit you, no matter how bad you are! Why did you think I would hit you, Brycey?"

"Ryry told me that h-his daddy would hit 'im if he was bad. . Not Brockey though. . He's nice to 'im. ." Jonathan felt his shoulders sag, and he cradled Bryce closer to him. He kissed his cheek, then his forehead, slowly making his way towards the infants room. Bryce laid his chin on the other's shoulder, sniffing and playing with Jonathan's blue sweater. Once they were in the little one's room, Jonathan laid Bryce down on the bed and started tucking him into bed, but as he did so, the blond stopped him and tugged at his shirt. The American sighed softly and got in bed with him, hugging his child closer and playing with his hair. Bryce buried his face into his shirt, and then looked up.

 **_I'll wrap up my bones_ **  
**_And leave them_ **  
**_Out of this home_ **  
**_Out on the road_ **

"Daddy, wou smell like Papa. ." For a moment, the world stopped and he felt lost, as if Jonathan had been buried under an avalanche and lost all sense of direction. When he came back to his senses, however, he looked down only to meet Bryce's blue eyes, once again filled with tears. "He won't come back, will he. . ?"

"Brycey, I. . P-Papa is in the stars now, watching over us every night and chasing away all our bad dreams. Look, you see that big star right there?", he asked, pointing at Bryce's window and to a star, big and bright in the dark sky. "That's him now, and he's looking at you and smiling. He knows you miss him, baby, and he misses you too. He misses both of us, but he's in a better place now! One day, you can go see him again, alright? One day when you grow up, you'll understand why he left us, but for now, try to rest, Bryce. It's been a long day for both of us. ."

The small child nodded and climbed under his blankets, holding his teddy bear close to him as Jonathan got up and kissed his cheek, pulling the covers over him. He closed his eyes, but then opened them again, looking out his window and yawning before gently saying, "Goodnight, Papa. . I wov wou. ." as he slowly let his eyes close and go to sleep. Jon smiled at him and walked out quietly, closing the door behind him and going into the kitchen to clean up the mess he made. By the time he finished, it was nearly 3 in the morning, and he felt tired and heavy. However, he managed to still grab his phone and dial-up Brock, hoping he would answer his call.

But when someone on the other end picked up, it wasn't Brock.

It was a woman.

"Excuse me, who are you? And what are you doing with Brock's phone?"

"I'm Stacy, from the SLCPD. As for Mr. Paxton, he is now in the emergency room. He was attacked by an unknown person and stabbed multiple times, while his young kid hid and called the police. The police are still investigating the crime scene, but for now, Mr. Paxton may just not make it."

After that, Jonathan swore he felt his heart stop and his skin go cold.

Not another death, he begged.

Not Brock.

* * *

 

"Excuse, I'm looking for Brock Paxton. Do you know what room he's in?"

"Brock Paxton, you say? Let me look him up on the computer real quick." said the nurse on the other side, typing away into the computer and scrolling down the page. Bryce held on to Jonathan's hand, sucking on his thumb as he looked around quietly. Jonathan gently swatted at his hand, trying to get Bryce to stop sucking at his thumb. He looked up to see a small hint of sadness flash by the nurse's eyes before she stood up and walked around the table, leading Jonathan and Bryce to the room Brock was staying in.

"Mr. Paxton is in critical condition and the doctors are thinking that he might not make it through the night, and if he does, that'll be a miracle. It has been estimated he was first beaten up, then stabbed at least 19 times on the chest, multiple stab wounds being near his heart. He lost a lot of blood, and seems to have difficulty breathing. We have also tried to contact his family but no one seems to be answering our calls. Are you family, by any chance?"

"Uh, no, I'm not. I'm a close friend of his and I had called him to apologize for an incident that happened yesterday. But when I called him, an agent from the SLCPD answered and told me he was in this hospital, and as soon as she gave me the name of this place, I grabbed my kid and bolted out of my house. I honestly don't have any clue on who could have done this, I mean, he's such a nice guy, I can't see him having any enemies, and just. . I'm so scared, to tell you the truth. My husband recently died as well and the thought of another person dying that is close to me breaks my heart. ."

She listened to him speak, never once interrupting him or pointing out anything, not even that he said his husband. Once they stood in front of the door that led to Brock's room, she stopped and put a hand on Jonathan's shoulder, making him look down at her with sad blue eyes. She gave his shoulder a small squeeze, as well as a smile, before removing her hand. "Don't worry about that, you're here now and if you truly are a close friend, I'll bet he'll be even more determined to make through the night, just for you. So go in there and relax, I promise you he'll be alright." Jonathan couldn't help but smile as he nodded, then gave her a brief hug before pulling away due to Bryce tugging on his sleeve. He looked down, then squatted to be at his youngsters level, meeting Bryce's blue yes with his own.

"What is it, honey? Do you need to go to the restroom?"

"No, Daddy. I just 'anna ask wou if Ryry is here. Is he here, Daddy?" he asked, eyes blinking innocently up at his dad. Jonathan looked up at the nurse while standing up, then asked her if a toddler had accompanied Brock. She thought for a moment, before snapping her fingers and nodding. The nurse ushered him to go inside the room, then informed him that she'll bring the kid into the room in a few. Jonathan thanked her, before she walked off to go get Ryan, all while Jon took a deep breathe in and walked closer to the motionless body laying on the white bed sheets, the heart monitor's sound creating a heavy atmosphere. And the closer he got to Brock, the harder it was getting to breathe.

Brock looked horrible.

A bandage was wrapped around his both his head and neck, covering his right eye. His cheeks were red and purple, and his lips were dry and cracked. Both his arms were covered in heavy bandages, and Jon could see bloody ones underneath the other male's hospital gown. He stood next to his bed and sighed, holding Bryce's hand just a tad tighter. Jon could only lean down and place a chaste kiss on the others head, swallowing back the lump forming in his throat as he sat down on the seat next to the bed and hug Bryce close, who looked at the day-care keeper confused. Just as he was about to ask his dad why Brock was like that, the door slightly opened and the nurse peaked in, before opening the door completely and walking in with Ryan holding her hand. The little boy didn't look any good either. His eyes were puffy from crying, and his cheeks were tainted a bright red colour. He visibly shook as he walked, and as soon as his eyes landed on Bryce, he shook like a new-born lamb. His eyes welled up with even more tears as he looked up at the nurse and shook his head.

Bryce, however, had different plans in mind as he quickly scrambled out of Jonathan's arms and ran towards Ryan, embracing him in a tight hug and smiling brightly. He started kissing the others chubby cheeks like he had done so the day before and tickled him as well, causing Ryan to stop shaking and laugh. He squealed and giggled as Bryce tickled him even more, and hugged him close again. Both the nurse and Jonathan smiled at the sight, and just as she was leaving, Jonathan stood up.

"Thank you, miss. Really, thank you so much." he said, extending his hand towards her as she shook her head with a smile and shook his hand.

"Emily."

"Jonathan. Pleasure doing business with you, Emily."

"The pleasures all mine." she responded, before walking out of the room to continue her work. Jonathan huffed tiredly, before looking at the two toddlers, who laid on the ground hugging each other and giggling. He smiled at the sight, before kneeling down to pick them both up and placing them on his lap as he sat down. They never once let go of each other as they instead yawned and rubbed their eyes. Bryce looked up at his dad sleepily and smiled, before hugging Ryan close and falling asleep. Ryan yawned as well and laid his head on the other boy's chest, falling asleep as well in no time at all. The blue-eyed male grinned tiredly at them, before looking up at Brock and continuing to grin.

"You see, Brock? You see your kid right here? You can't leave him, and I know you won't either. You're a strong-willed man, and I just know you'll make it. So please, don't let me down, or anyone else down by dying. Please, stay alive."

"For Ryan."

The next day, he awoke to Brock staring groggily at him and grinning like an idiot.

"Hope you didn't miss me for too long."

Later that same day, he also got a call from Lui, telling him that his body guard was on the way, and that new evidence had sprung up on both David's case and Brock's as well.

They were just one step closer to finding out the awaiting truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoOOOO ASH HERE BACK WITH A NEW CHAPTER OF TIGHTROPE FOR YOU GUYSSSS
> 
> okay but thank you guys so much for reading this story, and I hope you have a nice day, bye!!
> 
> also, Emily is just a nurse that'll help Jon take care of Brock and the kids while he's out looking for 1) the person that murdered Nogla and 2) the person that attacked Brock
> 
> :^))))
> 
> -Ashes_2_Cashes


	5. Chapter 4

“The name’s Brian. Brian O'Shea. I was sent here by Detective Lui for Jonathan De Nogla?”

“That is me. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine.”

Jonathan shook Brian’s hand as a greeting, then looked at the man up and down. He was roughly his own height, with blond hair combed to the side and striking pale blue eyes. He was dressed sharply in a suit and tie, and a gun poked out from under his shirt.

Jon stared at the weapon for a bit, before he looked at the other in the eyes.

“I don't know if you'll mind, but could you keep the gun out of sight? I know you need it, but I have two kids and one of them has gone through enough violence already.”

Brian looked down at the Glock, before moving it so it was on his back, his jacket concealing it. Jonathan smiled, then walked with Brian back to the hospital room Brock was in.

“I'm staying here for a while longer until Brock is stable enough to be moved to another area. He was gravely injured, and is still unstable, but awake nonetheless.”

“Do you have any idea who it might've been?”

“Actually, I don't. Brock is way too nice and friendly to have any enemies, believe me. He's an angel, and without him I don't know what I would be after my husband's death.”

Brian nodded and once they were at the room, he opened the door for the other and let him in, closing it behind himself. He stared at the beaten up figure of Brock just laying there on the hospital bed, then at the two children playing in the corner with some stuffed animals. He walked over to the injured male, then cleared his throat.

The daycare keeper turned his head slowly, then smiled up weakly, yet warmly, at the bodyguard.

“Hello. .”

“Good evening Mr. Paxton. How are you feeling today?”

“Like crap, honestly. It hurts all over.”

“It must.”

Brock smiled a bit more and laughed lightly, but winced at the action. Jonathan sighed and shook his head, getting the glass of water at the bedside table and bringing it up to the other's lips. Brock tilted his head back and let the cool liquid travel down his throat, the action calming him and the pain in his chest. When he was done, the baby blue eyed man put the cup on the table, then put his hands in his pockets.

“Brock, I promise you that I'm gonna find that fucker who did this to you and make them pay. I promise you.”

“Jon, please don't worry about me. You already have the case with David, I don't want to be another burden on your shoulders. Please?”

“No. Dude, you're like a brother to me and have done so much, this is just my way of repaying you.”

Brock shook his head, then looked at Brian.

“I don’t think I ever got your name.”

“Ah, it's Brian O’Shea. I’m from Ireland.”

“I knew your accent sounded familiar. David was also Irish, and he had the same accent.” Brock added, looking over at Jonathan.

He had gone over to the children and was now sitting on the floor with them, playing with a stuffed animal Bryce had handed him. Brock nodded, before the bodyguard cleared his throat.

Brock turned his head to face him, and noticed Brian’s eyes on the children. He smiled, before leaning back and closing his eyes.

“The blond one is Jonathan’s son, Bryce. The one with the grey hood is my son, Ryan. I recently adopted him, ever since I found him alone in the streets.”

“You took him in?”

“I’m a daycare keeper, of course I’m not going to leave this child alone in the streets. And he also showed signs of being abused at home, so I was _not_ going to take him back to a place like that.”

Brian nodded, before walking over to the two kids who happily played away. Once he was besides Jonathan, he squatted down and smiled as the two kids looked up at him. Ryan blinked, before scooting closer to Bryce and holding onto his arm.

Bryce smiled up at Brian, then waved with a small hand.

“Hi! My name is Bwyce, and this is my best fwend, Ry-Ry! He’s a bit scawed of new people, so twy and not scawe him, okay?”

“Your wish is my command, little guy.” the bodyguard told Bryce as he ruffled the kid’s hair. Bryce giggled, then looked at Ryan and motioned him gently to say something. Ryan looked at Bryce, before looking at Brian and giving him a chubby smile.

“H-Hi. . ! My name is R-Ryan. . A-And Bwock is my papa. .!” he said, stuttering a bit but smiling nevertheless. Brian felt himself smile more as he ruffled Ryan’s hair as well, causing the younger to gasp but laugh.

“Then don’t you worry, Ryan. Your papa is in safe hands with me, okay?”

“Okay mister!” he said, before going back to playing with Bryce. Jonathan watched the whole scene play out while having his chin on his hand, a smile tugging at his lips. When Brian turned and looked at him, Jon gave him a thumbs up and stood up.

“Do you have kids of your own? You seem to handle them pretty good.”

“I uh, used to. My wife divorced me a few years back and I haven’t seen them since.”

“Ah. .” he said, then put a hand on the body guards shoulder. “Well, just so you know. You make a great dad. Trust me.”

Brian nodded and looked back at them, before Jonathan removed his hand and cleared his throat.

“Do you mind staying here to look after them? I have to go back to the station for something Lui found, and it’s urgent.”

“I don’t mind at all. I’ll stay here with them, so now go. They’re safe with me.”

“Thank you.” Jonathan said with a smile before going to the door and stepping out. He took a deep breath in before walking out of the hospital, hoping that whatever Lui had found would bring them closer to finding the killer.

* * *

 

Jonathan walked through the building, heading towards Lui’s office where he knew the detective resided. He had his hands in his pockets as they slightly sweated from anticipation, wanting to know already what the other male had found.

However, as he opened the door to the other’s office, he was met with the sight of Lui kissing a shorter male, pressing the man against his table and wrapping his arms around their waist. The man made a small sound and had no option left but to wrap his arms around the detective’s neck. Lui’s hands traveled lower and eventually stopped below the man’s bottom, tugging him up so the other wrapped his legs around Lui’s waist.

As soon as that happened, he sat him down on the table, pulling away from the kiss to nip at his neck. The man bit his lower lip and ran his hand through Lui’s hair, mumbling something inaudible. Jonathan, still by the door, sighed softly and cleared his throat loud enough for the two men to hear. Freezing, the shorter let out a surprised sound and tried getting off the table, to which Lui stopped him from doing.

He looked up at Jonathan then sighed, looking between him and his lover.

“Well, this is awkward. Uh, Jonathan, meet Detective Arlan. He’s the forensic scientist who’s being following the case and passing the information to me. Arlan, meet our client, Jonathan De Nogla.”

“Hello. . “ Arlan mumbled, hiding his face in Lui’s shoulder as the tip of his ears turned red with embarrassment

“Hey.” was all Jonathan said before he closed the door behind him and walked forward, towards Lui’s desk. “So, what was it that you called me here for?”

“Oh, that. Arlan, sweetie, I’m going to put you down for a bit alright?”

He nodded vigorously before slipping off the table and exiting the room with a red face. Jonathan watched him leave, then sat down in front of Lui’s desk. The detective rummaged through some papers, before pulling out a neat folder, handing it to Jonathan **.**

“Arlan was at the crime scene, where your friend Brock was attacked. We ended up finding some interesting evidence.”

“He’s not a suspect after this anymore, is he?”

Lui shook his head. Jonathan relaxed a bit and opened the folder, but immediately tensed up once again.

Inside the folder was a bunch of information about Luke. From his address, to his connection to Jonathan, to where he worked. It was all about him. The blue-eyed man look up at Lui with a confused look, before Lui turned the paper inside the folder.

Behind the first one was a picture of Luke taken from what seemed to be a security camera. He seemed to be looking around, as if being followed, with one hand inside his jacket. The man swallowed the vile that was threatening to rise up in his throat as he placed the manila folder back down onto the table. The detective sighed, before grabbing the papers.

“This picture was taken right outside the apartment building where Mr. Paxton resides, a few minutes before the accident occurred. The only problem is. . “

“Huh?”

“He wasn’t the only one who was spotted around that area last night.”

“Who else was there?”

“Tyler Williams, Craig Thompson and Evan Fong were spotted outside late at night. We don’t know what their connections are with Mr. Paxton but--”

“Craig, Tyler and Evan are close friends with Brock. I assure you, they would never lay a finger on him, unless it’s playfully. Especially Evan. He’s his closest friend.”

“Jonathan, I understand. But in such cases, no one could really be trusted unless there is evidence proving otherwise. And right now, they are still considered suspects for two different crimes. I’m sorry, but this has to be done.”

Jon let out a huff of disbelief and looked down, laying his head in his hands and gripping his hair. After a few more moments of silence, he looked up at Lui with determination and held his head high.

“I’ll go talk to them.”

“Hey, you can’t do that! They’re put under house arrest right now, no one beside us can go to them. Are you even listening to me anymore? Jonathan!”

But the man was already out the door, walking out of the building with confidence in himself. He needed to prove that these people were innocent.

Or that’s just what he thought they were.

* * *

The ride to Tyler’s house was quiet, the only sound being that of the rain hitting the windshield. When he got there, he sat in his car silently for a few moments, before pulling his hoodie up and getting out. He walked over to the door, but was stopped by the two cops blocking the entrance.

“I’m sorry, but you cannot come in here. Only police and detectives can go in.”

“Detective Lui gave me permission to come talk to them.”

As if on cue, one of the cops radio went off and Lui’s voice came through.

“This Detective Lui, speaking. If a young man with black hair and blue eyes comes through by the name of Jonathan De Nogla, let him in.”

The cops eyed him, before he pulled out his ID to show them. The man nodded, before stepping aside and letting him through. Jonathan grabbed the door handle and twisted it, going in and putting his hood down. He closed the door, and was greeted with the scent of freshly brewed coffee, which made Jon worry.

Tyler only drank coffee if he was seriously stressed or anxious. 

At the sound of the door opening and closing, the taller male peeked his head around the corner of the kitchen, and the sight of him made Jonathan’s worry spike.

His looked like utter shit. His short hair was messed up, and he had dark bags under his eyes. His once tall figure was slumped over, and he was dressed with a simple grey shirt and baggy sweats. At the sight of Jonathan, however, his tired eyes lit up and he rushed forward to envelop him in a tight hug. He smiled, before hugging him back.

“Oh my god, Jonathan. What are you doing here? Where’s Bryce? Is he okay? What about Brock? Have you seen him? Craig, Evan and I wanted to go see him when we heard what happened, but they haven’t let us out of this damn house, and it’s just making me more anxious and I--”

“Woah there, dude. Calm down. Come on, let’s go sit down in the living room.” Jonathan spoke gently, grabbing Tyler’s arm and leading both of them to Tyler’s living room. Both male’s sat down, as Tyler sighed and covered his face with his hands.

“Jonathan, they think it was one of us. . They really think we’re responsible for killing David. . Now, they think we were the ones who injured Brock! We would never do that, ever. . You believe me, right?” he asked, looking at Jonathan through the gaps in his fingers.

“Of fucking course I do! I believe that none of you are responsible for what happened. We’re all close friends with Brock, especially Evan, so there’s no way any of you could’ve done it.”

“That’s what we tried to explain, but they didn’t believe us! Now, we’re put under house arrest for a whole month until evidence springs up saying it wasn’t us. Jon, I need to get out of the house. You know I can’t stand being in the same place for too long.”

“Hey, calm down. That’s why I came here. I needed to prove to the detective that none of you are to be held suspects. After this, I’m going back to station and convincing him, so don’t you worry.”

“Thank you. Fuck, thank you so much, Jonathan.”

“Hey, you guys are like brothers to me. I wasn’t gonna leave you guys here and blame you as well. Anyways, where’s Evan and Craig?”

“Craig is upstairs trying to sleep, and Evan is in the basement trying to blow off some steam through exercise. I would visit Evan first, however, Craig hasn’t been able to sleep for a few weeks now, and he barely now was able to sleep.”

Jonathan nodded, before heading downstairs to the basement where he heard a few grunting noise coming from. When reaching the foot of the stairs, he saw Evan punching a sandbag, sweat dripping off his face. He looked tired and restless, and both his arms as well as his legs shook. The man cleared his throat, before the Canadian stopped and looked up at him with tired, brown eyes.

His eyes widened slightly, before he tried walking towards him. That resulted useless as his leg almost gave out from underneath him. Jon rushed towards him and let the other use him as support They both walked over to the nearest bench, and Jonathan helped the other man take a seat.

Evan caught his breath, before he could actually speak.

“Jonathan? What are you doing here? I thought-”

“Technically, I’m not supposed to be here, but I convinced them otherwise.”

“Sounds like you. Hey, have you heard anything about Brock?” Evan asked, eyes looking into the others with worry.

“I was at the hospital with him a few hours ago. His in horrible shape, but he’ll make it.”

“Thank god. . “

“I also came by to tell you that I’m doing as much as I can to prove that you guys aren’t guilty of any of this drama. I promise you, I’ll convince them as soon as I can and get you all out of this hell, alright?”

“I trust you, Jonathan. If you don’t, I’m kicking your ass.”

“Oh, I know you will-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoOOOO ASH HERE BACK WITH A NEW CHAPTER OF TIGHTROPE FOR YOU GUYSSSS
> 
> okay but thank you guys so much for reading this story, and I hope you have a nice day, bye!!
> 
> also yes it was Roo's turn to write but she's been fairly busy so I'll be writing here for a while 
> 
> :^)))
> 
> -Ashes_2_Cashes


	6. Chapter 5

Jonathan and Evan talked for about an hour, just to catch up. It had been awhile since they had last got a chance to see each other, and Jon wasn’t waking Craig up from what might have been his first sleep since the attack. 

“Yeah, I’ll tell you now, if you think me and Tyler look bad, you won’t believe what Craig looks like. I’ve never seen him this bad. You saw him after we lost David, but this is far worse.” Evan told Jon. After David’s death Craig was an absolute mess, and to think that he could possibly be worse was a terrifying thought on its own.

After that comment sunk in, as if on cue, Tyler opened the door to the basement. He came down a few steps before alerting Jonathan that Craig has woken up, and he could see him now. Jonathan nodded and gave Evan a hug before following Tyler up the stairs.

“After you get up the stairs, Craig’s room is the third door on the left,” Tyler said before going to the kitchen. Jonathan assumed he was getting more coffee. He slowly climbed the stairs, worried about the British boy after what Evan had told him. He stepped carefully down the hallway, then took a breath before knocking lightly on the door.

“C-come in,” stuttered the barely audible voice from the other side of the door. Jonathan let out his breath before pushing open the door. As soon as he saw the other he immediately knew what Evan meant. The brunette’s hair was a rat’s nest and he was shaking. He had dark bags under his eyes and his skin was sickly white. But none of those things even compared to the look on his face. It held a cold and haunted look that shook Jonathan to his core. It was the look of someone who had just witnessed a horrible tragedy. Finally the American found his voice.

“Hey Craig,” he whispered as he moved to sit on the younger’s bed, “how are you holding up?” Looking at his face made Jonathan know it was a stupid question, but he didn’t know what else to say.

“Bad,” Craig replied.

“Hey, you don’t need to worry. Brock is going to recover, and I am going to convince the department you’re all innocent. It will all be okay, I promise. Okay, Craig?” The younger just fell forward and started sobbing into Jonathan’s shoulder. He wrapped his arms around the British male as the shaking started increasing due to the sobs that wracked his body. Jonathan rubbed soothing circles on Craig’s back and hummed quietly like he always did to calm Bryce. Soon that shaking slowed and the sobs stopped and instead became quiet snores. Jonathan laid him down and took off his glasses. He grabbed a tissue off his nightstand to wipe his tears and the snot that had dribbled out his nose. He sighed as he moved across the room to the light, he shut them off before heading down the stairs. When he got to the main level, he was greeted by Tyler, who didn’t look at all surprised when he saw the wet spot on Jonathan’s shoulder. “He’s asleep again. He said one word and then cried himself back to sleep,” he informed. Tyler just nodded.

“I’m surprised you got one word out of him. Usually he just takes one look at you before bursting out into tears. Occasionally he’ll whisper ‘I’m sorry’ like it’s his fault that he’s breaking down. Poor guy is just so overwhelmed with losing David and then Brock on top of that,” the taller explained.

“Alright, well all three of you take care, I’m going to sort this out. Watch out for Craig for me, ok? I don’t want him doing anything stupid,” Jonathan says before pulling out his phone. He had a call from Brock. I have to take this, I’ll see you all later.” He walks out of the house, the police nod to him as he exits the door and gets into his car. “Hello?” He asks into the phone.

“Dad? I miss you!” Bryce’s cheerful voice came through the phone. “When are you coming back?”

“I uh I’ll stop by now.” The hospital wasn’t too big of a detour, and he already knew it was a scary time for his son, so if he wanted to see his father, then he would take some time to do that. He smiled at Bryce’s cheering from the other side of the phone. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Alwight!”

Jonathan arrived at the hospital a few minutes later. He walked straight up to Brock’s room. He knocked and was let in by Brian. Bryce immediately rushed over and hugged his dad’s legs.

“How is everyone doing?” Jonathan asked as he came into the room. Brock was holding a book, he must have been reading to Ryan and Bryce. Brian just seemed to be hanging around and watching the door. 

“I’m feeling quite a bit better. I mean not good at all, but better. How was the station?” Brocks asked. Jonathan gave a look to Brian who asked the kids if they had to go to the bathroom, and led them out of the room.

“It was fine, they started suspecting Evan, Craig, and Tyler because they came to check on you. I went to visit them, they’ve been on house arrest since the attack,” Jonathan answered. 

“They’re stupid, all they do is suspect our friends. Like they would ever attack any of us.”

“Yeah, they’ve really freaked them out too. Evan can barely stand anymore he has been working himself so hard, Tyler has drank so much coffee I am worried he’ll get caffeine poisoning, and that might not even be a thing, but Craig is by far worst. He is an absolute mess, looks even worse than after David passed. I’m just wondering, do you remember anything about the attacker? Did you see anything?”

“No, not really. All I was able to tell was that they were around my height.”

“Well, at least we can rule Tyler out, fucking giant. Sadly you are average height and there are many around your height, including both Craig and Evan. At least we have one in the clear though.” Brock hummed in agreement. “I’ll stick with the kids for a bit, but then I’m bringing in that information, I want to clear them all as fast as possible. Especially Craig, the poor guy is so overwhelmed.” Ryan, Bryce, and Brian hurried back into the room once the conversation ended.

“Can we finish weading?” Bryce wondered as he takes his place on the seat next to Brock’s bed. Ryan joined him on the chair as Brian sat down on the chair on the other side. Jonathan leaned against the side of the hospital bed as the Brock started reading once more. It was some story about a prince and his journey to learn to become a proper king.

“Bwyce! One day we’ll be kings togetha, and we’ll be the best!” Ryan exclaimed happily as the story ended. Bryce excitedly agreed.

“Alright, well I have to head out once more, I’ll be back in about two hours or so, but on my way back I will pick up some proper food, so be on the lookout for when I text you,” Jonathan said before receiving nods from everyone and heading back to his car. He pulled into the station and went into the lobby. “I need to see Detective Lui. Tell him it’s Jonathan De Nogla and it is urgent.”

“Alright, he is free, do you know where his office is?” The secretary asked, Jon just nodded and headed towards the office. Once again when he opened the door Detective Arlan was in the room, but their positioning was far less explicit.

“What have you got? How are they?” Lui asked.

“Well, I can tell you right now that they are all innocent, but since you need ‘evidence’ I can tell you right now it isn’t Tyler. I talked to Brock again and he told me that the attacker was around his height, which is about six foot. Tyler is six foot five which is a very noticeable difference,” Jonathan stated, “and none of them are doing too good because they are all suspects for one of their best friend’s attempted murder!”

“Ok, we will confirm this information with Mr. Paxton, and if it is true, then we will let him off,” Lui replied, “I will call Brian now.” He pulled out his phone and dialed in a number. “Hello? Brian? Alright, you’re here. I would like to confirm a piece of evidence that has been brought to our attention. Yes can you please ask Mr. Paxton if the attacker was around his height?” Lui paused for a moment to listen on the other end. “Ok, the only witness says so. We will call the guys at the house now. You’re free to go Jonathan.”

“Thank you, but you’d better get cracking on this case because I want these guys proven innocent fast, this is too much for them to handle after David’s death.”

“Will do Jonathan, until next time.”

“See ya then.”

\--

“W-would it be easier to just turn myself in? Then they couldn’t use me anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ay would ya look at that I finally updated (:
> 
> Also everyone wish Ashes happy birthday! It will still be his birthday for another two and a half hours so go for it. It is the only reason I got this chapter done. Have a nice day everyone!
> 
> -Roo


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy bit of a short chapter here, sorry
> 
> Just had to get a filler chapter out there before everything starts coming together, know what I mean ? ;^)
> 
> -ashes

“Come on, Brock. Is there anything you remember? Even the tiniest bit?”

“I'm sorry, Jon. But I really can't.”

The blue eyed man groaned and rubbed his temples, tapping his fingers against his thigh. He stayed quiet, thinking for a bit, then shot up. Brock gave him a questioning look, watching as Jonathan walked back and forth while grabbing his things. 

“Jon? Where are you going?”

“There's someone I need to see. Are the kids with Brian?”

“Um, yeah. Pretty sure he took them to the bathroom to get cleaned up.”

“Call me if anything happens alright? And tell Bryce I'll be back before lunch!”

With that, Jonathan ran out of the room and out the hospital, making his way to his car. He went in and started it up, wasting no time in pulling out of the hospital and into the busy streets of Salt Lake City.

* * *

”Luke? Luke! Where are you?”

The bearded man peeked out of a room and raised a brow at Jonathan, who came in almost stomping. 

“Jonathan? How’d you come in here?”

“I have permission from the police to come in. Anyways, that's not the case. The case is, where were you last night?”

“This bullshit again? For the last time, it wasn't me! I've been getting interviewed by the police all morning and even then they don't believe me!”

Jonathan sighed softly and led his best friend to the living room, where the older plopped onto it with a pissed off look on his face. Jon placed his hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, feeling the other relax a tiny bit.

“I believe you, trust me I do. But the police needs enough evidence to prove you're innocent.”

“Well I turned in everything I could to help them know it wasn't me who hurt Brock. And I mean everything Jon.”

“If you don't mind me asking, where exactly were you?”

“Out of town. I had to pick up some new rims I bought for my car, and I wasn’t back until six in the morning.”

Jonathan leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes, crossing his arms and thinking. Luke lied down besides him and placed his head on the other’s lap, looking up at the ceiling and folding his hands over his stomach. They just stayed their in silence, taking everything in.

“Hey Jon? Do you ever wish you could just go back in time? You know, to the times we were just kids and didn’t have to give a shit about anything?”

The blue eyed man smiled softly and looked down at his childhood friend, who looked at him with a smile of his own.

“Like when you’d take my sister to that drive-in theater and I’d be hiding in the trunk so we didn’t spend a lot of money?”

“Or when we would dip our Sour Patch Kids into a can of coke?”

“Or those sleepovers we’d have where we would spend them on the roof of your house eating junk food until our stomach hurt?”

Luke snorted and shook his head, his eyes going to the window and just staring out at the sky, which was slowly clearing out after a couple of days of rain. 

“Where did it all go wrong, Luke?”

“I don’t know, Jonathan. I don’t know. .”

* * *

After spending some time with Luke, Jonathan received a call from Lui asking him to go to the department. Saying his goodbyes, he left the house and drove to the building, going in once he had parked his car. The detective waited for him at the door, and simply led him to a room where a sign reading ‘Keep Out.’ hung on the door. 

“Detective? Is there something wrong?”

“Wrong? No, it’s actually good news. After examining the evidence we collected during your friend’s investigation, we were able to conclude that the man shown in the picture before the attack was indeed not Luke Patterson, but rather someone trying to frame him.”

“Frame him? How?”

“There’s a possibility that the person who attacked Brock is the same person who killed your husband. They hold a grudge against you, and decided to make a move. By attacking one of those closest to you, and framing the next, it makes you think you can trust no one. They'll try to make you kill yourself possibly.” 

Jonathan's eyes went wide and his mouth suddenly felt dry, causing him to swallow thickly. Lui sighed and looked down at the table overflowing with folders and pictures, his eyes scanning everything closely. 

“Um. . what about Evan and Craig? Are they still under house arrest?”

“Unfortunately, there wasn't enough evidence to prove they were innocent. So until then, they are still under house arrest.”

“Can't you just let them out? Even for a bit? I'm sure you guys have trackers for them, so please. I beg you, use those on them instead of keeping them inside all day. They're hurting.”

Jon watched the detective ponder it for a bit, before finally agreeing to it. The taller smiled widely and thanked him endlessly as the other just shooed him away.

With that finally cleared, he made his way back to the hospital, practically radiating with happiness. On entering the room, he picked up both children who were sitting on the floor and spun them around, earning a giggle from Bryce and a squeal from Ryan who clutched at his shirt.

“Woah, what's going on Jonathan? You look like you just saw a miracle.”

“I did Brock! The detective is giving Evan and Craig the chance to go out, despite having the wear trackers on them. But dude, they're out!”

“Are you serious? That's great! When can they go out?”

“Possibly today. I was thinking of taking Craig out for a little stroll, poor thing is a mess right now.” 

“Are you gowing out again, Papa?”

Jonathan looked down at Bryce, who stared back with wide blue eyes filled with wonder. He leaned down and pressed kiss against his cheek, blowing on it a bit and causing Bryce to giggle. 

“Yes Bryce, I'm taking Craig somewhere. Do you remember him? The one with glasses? He's feeling a bit sad and I thought I’d do something to make him happy.”

“Ooh! Okay Papa! I'll stay hewe with Ryry and pway more!”

Jonathan chuckled and placed both boys on the bed, looking up at Brock who nodded. He smiled, and stopped next to Brian while heading out the door. He smiled at the Irishman and patted his shoulder, before going out and heading towards Tyler's house.

* * *

”Thank you so much, Jonathan. You don't know how much it means to us.”

“You guys are my friends, of course I'm not going to leave you here locked up!”

Evan chuckled and leaned back in the chair, groaning as he tried lifting his sore legs. The other helped him and then ruffled his hair. Evan whined and playfully punched Jon, who simply chuckled at his action.

“By the way, mind if I take Craig out for a while? I don't want to see him hogged up in his room all day.”

“Be my guest. However, it's going to be difficult convincing him to come out.”

“Well. . I'll just make him!”

With that being said, Jon headed to Craig’s room, knocking gently when arriving there. He waited for a bit, before Craig slowly opened the door. The British man had a towel tied around his waist, his hair sticking to his body as droplets of water slid down his chest. Looking at him now, Jonathan noted how much. . smaller he looked. He used to be healthy and built, but now, he was much, much skinnier, his skin a sickly pale.

Craig noticed how the other male stared at him and immediately shied away, looking down and hiding behind the door. Jon shook his head and looked at Craig, clearing his throat slightly.

“Sorry um. . I just wanted to ask if you’d like to grab some dinner with me maybe?”

“. . Really?”

“Uh, of course. Come on, get dressed. It’s all my treat.”

Craig’s face seemed to light up a bit as he slowly closed the door. Jonathan smiled and leaned against the wall next to the door, closing his eyes and waiting for the British male to come out. After a while of waiting, the door opened and Craig walked out. Jonathan opened his eyes and looked at him, grinning and giving him a nod of approval. 

And just like that, the North Carolinian grabbed the other’s hand and practically dragged him out to his car, determined on giving Craig the time of his life.

* * *

 

“Chocolate or vanilla?”

“Um. . chocolate? Jonathan, you really shouldn’t. You’ve already spent so much money on dinner and-”

He simply waved him off and ordered Craig the ice cream he had asked for. Once it was handed to him, he placed it in his hand and smiled at him, causing Craig to look away and bite his lower lip. Both males walked out of the ice cream shop, the cool air blowing against them gently.

As they walked into the crowds of people, Jonathan noticed how Craig stuck close to him, eyes looking around cautiously. It got to the point where Craig simply froze in the middle of the sidewalk, eyes wide and his body trembling violently. The American quickly went to him, grabbing his hands and taking him to the side.

“Craig? Hey, hey, it’s okay. . I’m right here. . You’re okay.”

But he simply wouldn’t respond, his eyes welling with tears and his body not ceasing to shake. Jonathan bit his lower lip, then slowly walked with him back to his car, Once he was able to place Craig inside and buckle him up, he drove both of them to his apartment, away from whatever was causing Craig to react like this. 

Jonathan parked his car once they had reached his home and got out, simply picking Craig out of the car once he had opened his door. The male didn’t argue and simply let Jon carry him to his apartment like nothing. He struggled to open the door a bit, but eventually made it inside without hurting the man in his arms. 

He plopped on the couch and had Craig basically straddle his lap. He looked up at him as the British man’s face went a bit red, but he simply wrapped his arms around his waist and kept him there. After a while in that position, he slowly started to relax as he wrapped his own arms around Jonathan’s neck loosely and placed his forehead on the other’s. 

The both just stared at each other with a hidden passion burning in their chest. Craig slowly leaned into Jonathan’s ear and sighed softly, his breath tickling the blue-eyed man’s neck.

“Take care of me, Jonathan? Please. . ?”

* * *

"He saw us."

"You think I don't know that? It's a good thing he doesn't dare talk about it. If not, we would've been caught by now."

"That's true. Any idea on how we're going to kill him?"

"Just you wait. It's all in a matter of time. Soon, we'll have the money that Irish bitch owed us. All thanks to our little rabbit~."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aannd the plot thickens ooh
> 
> so yeah, thanks for reading and hope yall have a nice day!
> 
> -ashes

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Have a nice day (:


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